As Fate Would Have It
by lexxilovesthepandas8
Summary: This is a novel that I'm currently working on. It's basically about a girl named Maria who lives a double life as an underground agent/loving wife. But, of course, there are many twists and secrets, hopefully that will leave you wanting to read more. Enjoy. :)


CHAPTER 1.

There's no easy way to say this, but I'm leaving you for another man. I'm sorry. I know you'll understand, and I know you'll understand, because you always have. In a way, I'll always love you...

It seemed like nowadays, I had written this letter a thousand times, but how to tell Cole that I was seeing another man? It's not like I was the bad guy here. Cole had already been caught in one affair, and I was starting to believe that he'd fallen into another woman's arms again. After all, when your husband comes home at 3 in the morning, doesn't that just spell "guilty?"

Speaking of Cole, it was already 11 o' clock, and he still wasn't home from work. _Of course,_ I thought, _he never comes home when he's supposed to. _I sat on the couch, waiting for the arrival of my husband. He'd come in stumbling, from a long night at the bar. _Probably with another girl,_ I imagined. Suddenly, I heard a car door slam relatively close to the front door. A few moments later, Cole stumbled in, as predicted, drunk.

He stared at me, wide-eyed, but still unwavering. He knew he'd been caught. "What're you doing up still?" he asked.

"Waiting for you," I huffed, staring him down. He stared back, hiccupped, then turned around and shut the door with as much force as he could muster.

"You shouldn't be up…" he mumbled, and teetered off towards the bedroom. I hopped up off the couch, and into dangerous territories. I took a quick step in front of him, blocking his path to the hall leading to our room. He bumped into me, then realized what he'd hit. His face scrunched up in a scowl.

"Move or I'll move you," he growled. I crossed my arms and shook my head, trying not to let my fear show. I could feel the panic rising in my heart, praying silently that he wouldn't hurt me. Seeing that I was not about the move, he wrapped his large hands around my upper arms and tried to lift me up off the ground. I cried out in protest, exclaiming that he was hurting me.

"Let go!" I shouted, trying to free myself. He gripped tighter, and I winced aloud. "Please, Cole! STOP!" He wasn't about to let go, so I knew I was going to have to fight back if I wanted to get away. I somehow managed to turn his grip around and plant an elbow right in his jaw. He instinctively released me and reached up to his face with both hands. I ducked underneath him and snatched up my car keys and purse, and in a final moment of desperation, I grabbed the letter I'd been writing and darted out the front door, listening to Cole holler for me, but never faltering to turn around. I hopped into the car and frantically sped off.

As I drove off, hot tears flooded down my face, and I wept like a scared child. I pulled out my phone and blurrily dialed Lola's number.

"Hello?" she asked, not even sleeping. Figures. She was always awake, and it seemed like it didn't matter if it was me calling her.

"Lola," I sobbed into the phone, knowing she'd understand my sudden blubbering, "Cole and I—"

"Where are you? Come on over," she murmured into the phone. I nodded as soon as she hung up, and took in a long, ragged breath. I could always count on Lola.

She was the only one, too.

I pulled up to a red light and waited for it to turn green, when I was suddenly startled by my phone ringing loudly on the seat next to me. As the rain started to fall, I grabbed my phone, and knew who it was before I even checked the name.

"Sir," I answered. My commissioner, Luc Rhiley, was waiting patiently for my voice on the other end. After a slight pause, he spoke.

"Maria," he drawled, "I just happened to tap into you and Lola's conversation… I was checking up on you. What happened?" He paused, anticipating my response.

"Sir, I'll be alright," I said aloud, but in my mind, I couldn't help but feel as though it were a lie. A horrible lie that had become half of my life. "I promise."

He didn't seem convinced. "You know, this guy sounds like trouble. I can tell you're distressed. Maybe you should take care of him—"

"Sir," I protested, "I promise, things will be fine. He was just drunk. In the morning, things will be fine. It's not the first time this has happened, and I can deal with him tomorrow. I don't need to take care of him. Not in the way that you're recommending." I frowned heavily, tears threatening to spring again. I'm sure Luc could tell I was feeling bad, because he let the subject go.

"Alright. But I still want you here tomorrow. I have a new mission for you… Not hard, but… Difficult, nevertheless. Can you manage that?"

I frowned even deeper, regretting my answer as it bubbled on my lips. The light finally turned green.

"Yes sir."

CHAPTER 2.

I must admit, I wasn't even the slightest bit surprised when I pulled up to Lola's house and saw Luc's truck sitting in her driveway behind her car. I had only half-thought that maybe he'd really be stupid enough to come here. It wasn't even morally right that he'd tapped into _another_ one of me and Lola's conversations. He was always seemed to know what we were doing.

I guess now I know why.

I pulled up to the street curb, put the car in park, and took a long, ragged breath. I grabbed my bag, my phone, and pulled the keys from the ignition and stepped into the cold, rainy night. I hurried up to Lola's porch, and before I even rang the doorbell, she had the door open and was ushering me into the house. As I stepped inside, I was relieved that she had the heat on, and I could even smell the infamous cinnamon-scented candle burning on her kitchen counter. She knew that the smell of cinnamon calmed me down, and had bought the candle the first time Cole and I had fought. Every time I'd come here since then, the candle was lit, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. And, of course, her friendship.

"Maria," she mumbled, "you look like you've spent the whole night worrying."

I nodded, not bringing myself to answer. My eyes scanned the room angrily, and it suddenly occurred to Lola what I was looking for. I pointed a finger at the dining room, and Luc glanced up from his cup of coffee to give me a weak smile. "Maria," he said, entranced by my very presence.

"Luc." I spoke, carefully processing the words before I spoke them. "What are you doing here?" I wasn't even about to pretend I was happy to see him. Because in all honesty…

I _was_ happy to see him.

I had met Luc before Cole. We had been somewhat close in the beginning, and we'd gotten even closer over time as well. It was hard to believe that I'd had feelings for him, and he had them for me.

Like the fairytale I'd always wanted.

Except for the fact that I was living in one big lie. I was just as bad as Cole, what with being with Luc for one night, and not just in the general aspect of work. I definitely had a small thing with him. In a way. The only hard part was hiding my double life, including the one-night-stand, from my husband. The man who I thought I was the closest to.

It hadn't always been like this.

I could easily recall four years ago, the exact day that I met the man I knew I'd spend forever with. It was August 13th, and I had been in the coffee house, enjoying my peppermint mocha latte, reading a worn-out copy of Shakespeare's "_Romeo & Juliet_," and nothing seemed to even matter at that point in time. I remember hearing the all-too-familiar bell over the door chime, and out of habit, glanced up for a moment to see if I knew who it was coming in.

And the man that walked in instantly made me wish I knew him.

He was tall, well-built, with sandy-blonde hair, and a well-structured chin. He was wearing a suit, but at the same time, he seemed to be going for a casual-business look. And he pulled it off well, I had noted silently. He gave a warm, friendly smile to the latte guru behind the counter, and I could almost _smell_ his cologne from across the room. I couldn't help but find myself gawking at this amazing creature that had just entered my neck of the woods. I gave him a classic once-over, and decided almost immediately that he was out of my league. He had treated himself to a latte, and an apple-cinnamon muffin, (not that I was watching,) and turned, suddenly, in my direction.

I tried to look like I hadn't noticed him, hiding behind my glasses and glaring back at my book, not even reading it. The next thing I knew, I heard an almost nervous cough from next to me, and I took a chance and looked up. Mr. Handsome was looking down at me with his rugged handsomeness and flashed a well-fit white smile. "Hi." he said, clearing his throat. "Mind if I sit here? My mother always told me that if you ever see a beautiful girl sitting at a table by herself, you should always ask to sit with her. So, here I am."

I was taken aback, I remember, not expecting him to ask me if he could sit with me. Let alone what he'd said. And what was my clever-witted response back?

"I'm not beautiful, but that lady over there looks lovely." I visibly smacked myself in the face, and silently chided myself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_, I thought to myself. I was surprised when he pulled out the chair anyway, and insisted that I hadn't been told enough, and that's why I didn't believe him. It was sweet, and insanely flattering. And that's when I knew. I was going to marry him. No matter what it took, or how long, this was the man I was destined to be with in my life forever.

Had fate been wrong?

Needless to say, we exchanged numbers and e-mail addresses right there on the spot, and he promised to call me after he got off work. And when he did, I was more than overjoyed; I was relieved. He'd actually called me, and that's when I was one-hundred percent sure that we'd at least date. I never had even guessed marriage.

Okay, so, I did. Just a little.

We'd dated up until last year, when he proposed in early July, and we'd gotten married, by our choice made together, on August 13th, marking exactly three years since we met. And until the past couple months; things were exactly how they were supposed to be. It seemed like the good days were just beginning. Unfortunately, they wouldn't last long.

I felt horrible, even now, knowing that my vows had been nothing but lies. So had his, but I overlooked his wrongs and beat myself up over my own. I had promised to love him and only him. Yet, I was seeing someone else. Well, actually, it was a bit more complicated than that. When I first found out that Cole had cheated, I'd been mad. I'd cheated back, out of spite. But the only reason why I had never admitted it to Cole was because he wouldn't be able to handle my secret double-life. I had kept this secret for so long, it was an unfathomable thought to even _try _telling him now. This was why I had put it off for so long. This was why he still didn't know.

Which was why I was here at Lola's, sitting across the table from Luc.

"Maria," he murmured, "you know why I'm here. I wanted to make sure you were alright. When I called, you sounded like you'd been crying. I needed to know that my top agent is tip-top." His eyes were a hard, icy blue, not warm and friendly like they normally were. I frowned, glaring at him. "I'm fine," I lied again. Anyone who was anyone could tell I wasn't fine. But, the question was: who would care enough to _do_ something about it?

He rolled his eyes, and I narrowed mine. He grinned at me, as if to say, _I'm just yanking your chain, Maria. Lighten up._ The last thing I needed was to lighten up. What I really needed was one of Lola's signature strawberry-banana smoothies and for that cinnamon candle to keep burning. I knew it was going to be another long night of wondering what Cole's mood will be like tomorrow, but at this point, I was glad to be in my second home, with the other two important people of my life. Luc stared at my face, and I could tell he was just longing to reach across the table and stroke my hair.

But that wasn't about to happen.

I was startled by the shrill ringing of Lola's phone, and without even thinking, I picked it up and answered for her. "Hello?"

"Maria," Cole said weakly into the receiver, "come home please..."

I started to shake, and Luc's eyes met mine. I turned my back on him and whispered, "No, Cole. I won't. Not tonight."

"Baby," he whined, "I'm sorry. It was stupid, what I did. But I've had time to cool down. Please come home. I miss you, baby. I need my Ria at home with me." There it was. The "nickname guilt-trip" as I liked to call it. Whenever he called me Ria, I _always_ gave in. Not tonight.

"Cole, I'm sorry, but what you did was unforgiveable. I'm staying at Lola's tonight, and I will be home tomorrow. Whether or not you believe me, I love you. And I'll see you tomorrow at six." I hung up, feeling sorry for him rather than myself. Although he was the one that kept screwing up, I kept reminding myself that my situation was ten-times worse, and _way_ more unforgiveable than what Cole had been doing. Before I even turned around, I felt Luc's strong hand touch the small of my back, and felt his warm, soft breath on my neck as he leaned closer so I could hear him whisper, "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, finally admitting it. No, I was not okay. I would never be okay, either. It was a never-ending cycle with Cole. A routine. I was getting used to it, no matter how much it hurt. And each time, he just seemed to be pouring more acid in the raw wound. Luc wrapped both of his arms around my waist, and I put my hand over my face and fought the tears that, yet again, threatened to spring. I just stood there, letting Luc hold me, past the point of caring.

Past the point of no return.

Chapter 3.

I lay down on Lola's couch and listened as Luc's truck grumbled to life and lurched out onto the wet street, pulling off the street and into traffic. I closed my eyes and wallowed in my self-pity until Lola came down the stairs, her hair wrapped up in a towel. I sat up straighter, and she looked at me before looking around. I knew she was looking for Luc. It was evident. That and I knew she had a very strong thing for him. After our one-night-stand, I'd backed off quite a bit, almost acting as if we lived on separate planets.

I almost wished it was possible.

"Where's Luc?" Lola inquired, looking at me almost accusingly. I shrugged my shoulders. She sighed, half-heartedly, and bounced off towards the kitchen. "I made strawberry-banana smoothies," she sang. I smiled, and laughed a little. She knew me so well. I hopped up off the couch and walked into the kitchen, smiling the whole time. Whenever Lola made strawberry-banana smoothies, I just wanted to lie on her couch and sip one down.

Which is what was going to happen.

The sweet, strong aroma of cinnamon hit me like a tidal wave, but my nose embraced it openly. Lola smiled back, and handed me her Heaven-made creation. I snatched it from her hands and thanked her graciously. She nodded, and although it was a simple gesture, I accepted it, and walked back into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Lola joined me, sitting on her favorite spot on the couch, right next to me. She sipped at her smoothie for about ten seconds, before setting it down on its coaster, and turning promptly to face me.

"Maria," she said quietly, "what happened?" I couldn't meet her eyes. Not yet. I was still trying to find the words. How to tell your best friend and fellow agent that you and your husband aren't just going through a rough patch; you're going through a full-scale blowout? But the bigger question was: what would Lola say I should do?

I already knew what Luc wanted me to do. I couldn't forget. The man was trying to get me to _kill_ my husband, for goodness sake! Was I going to take that suggestion?

Maybe.

But, it's not like I would do it because I didn't _love_ Cole. I did, and still do. I just didn't honestly know how much more of this I could take. Call me pathetic, but I wasn't going to take abuse lying down. If anything, I'd stand up and fight back. Cole may be big and bad, and even more powerful when drunk, but I still wasn't afraid to fight him back. Scared of him? Sure. But, that's no reason to back down. "Fear does not take precedence over the mind, _little bird_." My grandmother had instilled that in my head for years, ever since I was old enough to talk. She always called me "little bird." She always said that she loved birds. That was even before she became old and senile. And, because she loved birds so much, and I was little when she started aging, she decided to call me "little bird." I rather loved the nickname. I couldn't imagine being called anything else, considering the fact that my grandmother practically raised me. I guess over the years I got used to it, and accepted the name. I was proud of it, and I wasn't about to change.

Even though my grandmother died last winter.

"Hello? Earth to Maria? I asked what happened…" My head snapped up towards Lola, who was snapping her fingers in my face, trying to call me back into attention. "I'm sorry," I whispered, "I was thinking about what happened… Remembering it. No matter how bad I wish I could forget, I can't, Lola. I just can't."

Lola looked at me with a torn look in her eyes. I felt bad, I really did. I didn't mean to hurt her feelings, or snap at her the way I did. I barely even raised my voice, but nevertheless, it stung. And I felt bad. I sighed, and apologized. Lola nodded, and looked at me, her eyes sending me the message that she wanted me to proceed with what was on my mind. I clasped my hands together slightly, and sighed again, pushing the breath from my lips.

"He came home drunk, again," I started, "and he tried to go straight to the bedroom. I wanted to talk to him, but he just wanted me to leave him alone and let him sleep. And I've already told you about the affair that he had, right?" At her nodding response, I continued. "Anyways, I stood in the doorway and told him we needed to talk. Because I miss him, you know? He's always coming home, late, and drunk too. He grabbed me and it really hurt." At this, I rubbed my arms, and looked. Lola gasped, and I suddenly noticed the harsh, purple bruises shaped like Cole's strong fingers.

Tears slid down my cheeks and fell onto the couch cushion. Lola put her hand on mine, and I knew she understood. It was the little moments like this that I was grateful for her presence. "Hey," she cooed softly, "it's okay… I'm here. And you shouldn't have to worry about Cole. What he does is wrong. And there's always a solution to people like him." I finally met her gaze, and saw the strong glow of her chocolate brown eyes looking back with utter sincerity. I shook my head. "No, I can't…" But as I looked at her, I realized that nothing I said anymore would matter. It was too late to change Lola's mind. And Luc's for that matter. I guess it's true when people say the heart wants what the heart wants. Their hearts wanted Cole's to stop beating.

But what did my_ own_ want?

Chapter 4.

I woke up the next morning on Lola's couch, my empty smoothie cup and cell phone still sitting on the table in front of me. After a long night of talking and crying, I finally cried myself to sleep, feeling like I had lost a huge part of my life. Even though I hadn't lost anything, or anyone, I still felt as though I'd lost everything. I missed Cole; I really did. The only thing that scared me was his temper. Would he still be angry with me? Or would he be as calm as the eye of a storm? I rubbed my face with both hands and let out a shaky sigh.

It was going to be another long day.

"Morning." I jumped at the sound of Lola's voice. I hadn't expected her to sleep in the chair when she had the most comfortable bed in the world upstairs in her gorgeous, nice-sized master bedroom. Either way, I was glad to have someone to talk to. "Morning." I responded. She gave me a faint smile, and stood up and walked into the kitchen. I lay on her couch, trying to shake the sleep from my mind and actually wake up. _No good_, I thought to myself. I was exhausted. I grabbed my phone from the table, and was surprised to see that I had twenty missed calls, and eighteen text messages. And four voicemails.

Great.

I shook my head, and checked the text messages first. It didn't surprise me one bit that almost all of them were from Cole. Almost. Luc had text me three times, just trying to get me to check in with him. One was from an hour ago, and the other two were from last night. I deleted his and began reading Cole's. Most of them were what you'd expect; "I miss you, please come home..." or, "I'm so sorry," or even the classic, "I can't believe you're mad; I did nothing wrong." _You never do, Cole_, I thought. But there was his last text he sent that really got my attention; his confession.

"Maria, I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to be. But please don't leave me. Yeah, I was out last night. But I was with friends. You can call Blake, or Tony, or even Jake. We went to a club. I should have told you, but nothing happened. It was a guys' night out, Ria. I love you. I really do. I promised forever, and I swear I meant it. I still do. Since you're still upset, I'll leave you alone... But please come to lunch with me tomorrow at LJ's. I know it's your favorite place to eat. I have a surprise for you too. Again, I love you. Call me back, babe. Miss you. See you today... Or tonight. Bye."

Most of the time, I immediately felt better after getting messages like these. But today, I just couldn't shake the odd feeling that his text gave me. I thought twice about texting him back, so I decided to call. After the second ring, he answered.

"Hello? Ria?" He sounded relieved, I noted. My eyes clouded with tears, but I composed myself enough to hide the hurt in my voice.

"I want to believe you Cole, but after what happened with Savannah... It's hard _to _believe you. Or forgive you. I've tried, unbelievably hard, too. Lola's the only one I feel like I can trust now. She's the only one who's physically been there whenever I've needed her..." I paused unsure where I was getting at. I had an awful gut-feeling that no matter what I said, Cole was never going to change. There was silence on his end of the line too. I closed my eyes and whispered, "Please say something, babe..."

"Maria... I know what I did was wrong. But that was then. I'm over her. She's _engaged_ now; I couldn't do anything if I _tried_. Which I wouldn't, because I realized it was wrong, and very ignorant. And my mistake almost made me lose the best thing that's ever happened to me. I still beat myself up over it every day. I know you might not believe me, and I feel us drifting apart, but give me a chance to prove I'm the same man you married. The man you fell in love with. And I'll remind you of that man, I swear it." He paused, his voice breaking and cracking. Was he crying? I tried not to think about it, and listened for more. When he didn't speak, I took the initiative and spoke what was on my mind.

"Cole James Radanovich, I love you. That's all I can ever say anymore." I shook my head, and without thinking, hung up the phone. I was dismayed when he didn't call back. Did Cole truly love me like he said he did? I was beginning to doubt even his highest of honesty. At this point, I was too emotionally and physically tired to try and prove my point that I didn't think my husband loved me anymore, so I set down my phone and moved myself into the kitchen, dragging my feet like a penguin. But hey, penguins are adorable. Even if I wasn't.

Lola has somehow managed to make waffles with fresh-cut strawberries, butter, and syrup and coffee without me smelling it. I felt like a kid on Christmas the way I tore into my waffles like they were nothing. Lola stared at me, and I laughed when I caught her staring. She laughed too, and finally, for the first time since work yesterday morning, we had a normal conversation.

"So, I think I'm going to tell Luc how I feel," Lola confessed, and I gave her an approving nod. She smiled and stirred her fork around in her syrup puddle on her plate. "I just feel like it's time. I've kept the truth from him long enough. I've been playing it pretty subtle, and I don't think he knows yet." She scoffed, "Huh, men _are_ clueless." I laughed, and picked at my last strawberry until my plate was clean. I rinsed off my plate and fork and place them properly in the dishwasher. I turned around and put in my two cents. "I think it's a good idea, Lo. Have you decided how, or even _when, _you're going to tell him?"

She looked at me, and shook her head. "I haven't given it much thought. I was kind of hoping you could suggest something." She gave me a long sideways glance, and I wondered what she was thinking I'd say. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. "Come to lunch with Cole and I today! I don't want to be alone with him, not yet. And it's at this _AMAZING_ bistro. Luc loves bistros, and so does Cole. It'll be perfect! We'll just tell Luc that we're going on a lunch together." I realized that I sounded crazy right now; offering to have Cole _and_ Luc in the same building, but it was worth a shot. What could Luc try to do in public during the day? Nothing. I had nothing to lose. Lola had been looking at me like I'd gone mad, silently questioning my sanity, but the more I carried on with my plan, the less she looked at me like that. It was almost as if she was considering it. _Good_, I thought, _she's warming up to the idea. Now I just have to convince her to get Luc to tag along. It's high time they stopped judging Cole by what I say, and see him for themselves. _

It was crazy enough to work.

"Alright," Lola smiled. "I'll talk to Luc when we get there. Speaking of work, we have to be there in two hours. That's enough time for you to be ready?" I nodded, and she nodded back. "Good. You know how everything works; master bathroom's yours for today. I'm already ready. I just have to run some errands, like getting some groceries for tonight's dinner, paying bills, and whatnot. I shouldn't be more than an hour. Have at it. See ya when I get back." She grabbed her keys, purse, and jacket as she talked, and flounced out the door. "Bye!" I called, seconds before the door shut. I smiled, and chuckled to myself.

_Got to love that Lola_, I thought.

I bounded up the stairs, and instantly walked into her bathroom, mindlessly turning on all the correct knobs and stepping into her shower. The hot water felt like pinpricks all over my body, but it felt good. I smiled, content, and grabbed the, (of course) cinnamon-scented shampoo. Lola had to special-order this stuff, but it was amazing, and made my hair really shiny, and smell insanely good all day. In fact, nine out of ten times, I caught myself pulling at strands of my hair just to sniff them. Of course, I looked like a child, but hey, when your hair smells _that_ good, I didn't mind. After I finished my shower, I climbed out and dried off before stepping into my clothes. I brushed my teeth with my spare toothbrush that I kept here, and applied my makeup to my personal perfection. I brushed my hair, blow-dried it, and then threw it into a loose braid that hung over my right shoulder.

I felt good and clean as I walked down the stairs. I even caught myself straight up smiling. Which was weird. I wasn't in a good mood.

So why did I _seem_ like it?

I sat down on the couch again and aimlessly roamed through the channels, and eventually settled on _"The First 48,"_ and checked my phone again. I frowned when I realized that Cole still hadn't called back. I sighed, and decided to text back Luc instead. I asked him if he'd heard from Lola at all today. He'd responded that he hadn't. He asked why, and I told him I was just wondering, and that I'd see him at work. He text me back with a smiley face, and I cringed. _Don't start with me, Luc. Not today,_ I groaned. My phone buzzed again, but when I checked the number, I was slightly alarmed to see that the number wasn't saved in my phone. _That's weird, _I thought, _if it was someone I knew, it would be saved in here. _I took a chance and decided to answer the call. "Hello?" I said, nervously. "Maria?" My heart skipped about ten beats.

I'd know that voice anywhere.

"_Lexy_?" I didn't know how to feel at this point. I hadn't heard from my little sister in almost five years. Ever since I'd left the family behind...

For Cole.

"Hey, Maria." I could almost hear the smile in her voice. But I could also tell it was a nervous one, if anything. "How are you? I feel like it's been ages..." She paused, giving me a turn to speak. So I took it. "Well, I've been okay, I guess. I got married to Cole, I don't know if you knew... I didn't know if Mammaw told you or not. And we still live in the city. On the West Side, though. Are you still living with Aunt Bet?" I was genuinely curious. I never thought I'd hear from her ever again. In all honesty, I resented my little sister, and took her for granted. Even though I did, I still missed her a lot. And she must have missed me too. Because, somehow, she'd gotten my phone number and contacted _me._ She'd made the effort, and reached out to _me_. And I'm the kind of girl that when someone gives me an inch, I take a mile. With this inch, I'd take a thousand miles. Only because it was Lexy.

My baby sister.

"Yeah," she said. "I still live with Aunt Bet. Still hate her, too. I've been involved in a lot of school activities, so I don't have to be home a lot. It works. I really could care less if it was something stupid. I do it to get out. I'll be 18 in four months, and then I'm out of there. I just don't know where I'm going to go. Aunt Bet and Uncle Todd don't have a lot of money to give me for college. And when Aunt Bet checked my account for college at the bank, they said there was only three grand in there. _Three grand_, Maria. That won't get me anywhere. Maybe a decent one bedroom apartment, but I don't know. I'm counting the days. Anyways, I have some news, and you're the only one that I needed to tell, because, in an odd way, it involves you." She paused, and my heart fluttered again.

"How does it involve me? And how'd you get my number, anyway? I've isolated myself from the social world. And ignored the rest of our family for about five years. How did you _find _me?" I felt hot tears springing up, though I wasn't sure why I was even crying. I honestly didn't know if I was mad, or sad. I was confused. Lexy. Of all people, it was Lexy that I finally had contact with from the past. I swiped at my face with my jacket sleeve, and listened carefully for her response. She finally spoke up. "Do you know a man named Luc Rhiley?" I started to shake. Before I could answer, she spoke again. "Don't answer that. I already know you do. I'm sure you want to know how." I nodded, and as if she sensed my silent response, she told me what I'd been dying to know.

"He's my fiancée; we're getting married, Maria."

Chapter 5.

For my whole life, I'd never ever been to a wedding aside from my own. And now, to hear my baby sister tell me that she was _engaged_ to my _commissioner_? If my mother were still here, she'd say, _Lexy, you're throwing your life away. You're only eighteen and need to be thinking about college, not marriage. Save it for the future, Sis. I don't want to be a grandma yet. _But since our mother wasn't here, it was my job to say this kind of stuff.

"Lexy, you're only eighteen!" I exclaimed. "And he's like, 26! Aunt Bet and Uncle Todd will never let you get married at eighteen, and neither would mom and dad!" I knew it was harsh throwing mom and dad into my opinion, but I had a glimmer of hope that she'd actually listen to me if I did. I could hear her exasperation as she huffed, "I really thought you'd be more understanding, considering you went through the same thing."

I had to give her credit for that one; she was right.

"Just because I made a big mistake doesn't mean you have to follow in my path," I protested, but I knew it was no good. Once that girl made up her mind up about something, there was no stopping her. She was stubborn like me. She was also persistent like me. Which could be good, and bad, depending on the situation.

"Maria, I just wanted you to know that we're getting married. I'm not asking you to do anything or even _go_ to the wedding; I just thought you'd like to know. I mean, you're invited, of course, but I won't ask you for anything, or to do anything. But this is something I have to do. I _want_ to do. Marrying Luc is one of the best things I've ever decided on my own. I'm sure you were the same way when you ran off with Cole." I nodded. She was absolutely right.

"I just have one question, Lexy... Does he make you truly happy?" I asked, pinching my eyes shut. "Of course," she breathed into the phone. I nodded, feeling a bit more at peace. As long as he treated her good, and really loved her, there was a small chance I could warm up to the idea.

A small chance.

"I have one more bit of news I have to tell you. When Luc and I first started dating, I told him I wanted complete honesty from him, and I told him I'd give him the same in return. The first thing he told me was his big secret; the agency." I had to admit, this took me completely by surprise. Luc had told Lola and I not to tell a soul. Respecting our commissioner, we didn't. "Anyways, once he found out that you were my sister, he told me that you were in the agency. I was shocked, because you're not the kind of person that kills people for a living. And he also told me about your guys' little one-night-fling. I must say, that surprised me too. You're not the cheating type, either."

She paused, and I waited. I had no idea what was coming next. "I just wanted to let you know, that I've joined the agency too. I'll be working in your department, but I'll be assigned to any case with Luc. We'll be official partners. But you'll be seeing a lot more of me." I shook my head. This wasn't just a good conversation gone badly, but this was one half of my life suddenly more interesting than it had been in years. Lexy was going to be here. In Seattle. With me.

But the question was: how?

"How did you meet?" I asked mindlessly. She chuckled. "Funny story, actually. We were in that one coffee shop Downtown... What was it called? Oh, I remember! It was LJ's." My heart skipped a beat. LJ's was where Cole and I had met. I shook my head, disbelief shrouding my mind. "It was so cute, because I was digging in my purse for money for my cappuccino, when all of a sudden; he walked up and paid for my order. Then he said, 'well, I suppose since I bought you coffee, we should get a table and talk about what you could do to pay me back.' So, we did. And I really liked him. So, we just went from there, and here we are, four months later."

_ Four months, _I thought, _she's dated him for only four months, and now she wants to marry him. And she knows about our fling? What is wrong with this girl?_ I shook my head again, and for some odd reason, I felt as though my throat was closed tight. Hot, angry tears flooded my eyes, and I swallowed hard. "Lexy, I'm so sorry, but I have to go. Luc wants me at work soon... And Lola will be back to pick me up... So, goodbye." Without another word, I hung up. I didn't even give her a chance to say goodbye.

But I shouldn't have to.

She hadn't given me a chance to come back into her life. She walked back into mine and decided maybe it would be a good idea to bombshell me with all of this information about her recent relationship. To be quite honest, I couldn't care _who_ my sister dated. But the fact that it was someone who was _intentionally_ bringing us closer together? This was going to end badly, and I knew it as well as Lexy did. I threw my phone into my purse, and listened as it crunched something in my purse. I reached in and pulled out the letter.

There's no easy way to say this, but I'm leaving you for another man. I'm sorry. I know you'll understand, and I know you'll understand, because you always have. In a way, I'll always love you...

I crumpled up the letter, and started to cry. There was no one else I wanted more than Cole right then. I reached for my phone, and sent Cole a simple text, praying he'd respond.

"Cole, I need you. And I'm so sorry I overreacted last night and left. I love you and only you. I just wanted to know that you loved me too. I'll see you later at lunch. You better have a peppermint mocha latte and an apple cinnamon muffin waiting for me when I get there. Love you.(:"

I sighed, and called Luc. Fortunately, I got his voicemail. "Hey, Luc. Sorry, I'm not going to be at work today. Call Lola and tell her I'm busy. There's some things I have to take care of today. I'll come in tomorrow. By the way, you'd better treat my sister right, or I know who my next target will be. And I mean that." I hung up, and locked Lola's front door. I got in my car, and knew instantly where I was heading.

Downtown Seattle.

Chapter 6.

I knew it was a huge mistake telling Luc that I knew.

I wasn't sure how it was going to play out; I just kind of set things into motion and went with it. But here I was, stuck in the lunch rush, praying that I'd make it there. LJ's café wasn't too far from Lola's, but it was far enough that I'd have to deal with traffic still. _No worries,_ I thought, _you've been in worse situations, Maria. Cole will wait for you. He always waits._ I laid on my horn, signaling for the bonehead in front of me to get his lazy butt moving. He honked in response, and I shook my head.

Stupid people.

About twenty minutes later, I arrived at LJ's, and miraculously found a parking spot. Unfortunately, Cole's truck was nowhere to be found. I quickly got out of the car, and almost forgot to lock it. Once I did, I bounded up the two tiny steps leading into the building. LJ, the owner, walked up to me and smiled. By Cole's decision, he'd been the best man at our wedding. Which why we were his "valued customers." He greeted me with a friendly smile, and I smiled back. "LJ," I said, "how are you?"

He laughed, hardly a response, but I knew he meant well. "Oh, me? I'm good. Same as always, I suppose." He grinned at me, showing the slight gap in his pearly white teeth. "What can I do for you, Mrs. Radanovich?"

I frowned at him. "Well, Cole told me to meet him here at noon, and it's 12:08… Is he here?" I looked him straight in the eyes, trying to see if his facial expression changed at all. It did, but he tried to hide it well with another bright smile. "How about a peppermint mocha latte, on the house, huh?" My frown deepened. I shook my head. "Where's Cole?" I could detect the tremble in my own voice. LJ did too. He sighed, and ran his hand through his dark hair. He ushered me into the kitchen and into the giant refrigerator vault. Of course, I was taken aback, but followed him in anyway. Once he shut the door, he pulled me to him in an awkward hug.

"Maria, dear… You shouldn't be here right now," he whispered into my hair. I pushed myself immediately from him and stood in a fighting stance. He held his hands up in defense, but he knew I had him pinned up against the shelves of produce. "LIAR!" I shouted in his face. He knew where Cole was, and for him to try and beat around bush was not going well with me. "Maria. It's not safe here. Go home, and lock your doors. I'll come check on you later…" he protested. I shook my head. "Where's my husband?!" I yelled, tears flooding my eyes. I was suddenly scared for Cole. Where was he? It wasn't like him to be late. During the day, at least.

"I was told to instruct you to go home. You'll be fine. But Cole's not here, Maria. Go _home_," he growled, getting angry. He lurched forward and grabbed my wrists before I could throw a punch. I was too slow for him, unfortunately, because I did pull back to swing, but was caught mid-pull. I trembled and wept as he held my wrists, letting the tears brim over and fall to the floor. I loosened up after being tense in my stance, and his grip loosened as well. I swiped at the tears and looked at LJ with blurry eyes, silently begging him to tell me. If there was one thing I was well-taught by Mammaw, it was to never let a man see your tears, knowing he caused them, because the situation only gets worse. Mammaw was right; it was about to get worse.

LJ sighed, a ragged exhale. He looked me dead in the face. "Maria," he whispered, barely audible, "Cole's dead."

My heart stopped. I went instantly numb, and forgot how to do anything, how to feel…

How to love.

"No," was my only response. "It can't be true…" LJ had started to cry too. "It is, little bird… It is. I'm so sorry. A man came in here at about 11:30 with a manila envelope. He slid it up the counter to me, and walked out. That was it. I never saw his face, either. He looked away when he did it, away from the camera too. The front said, "Inform Maria" in bold letters. I opened it, and it was a picture of Cole. You could just tell… He had an "L" carved in the front of his chest, over his heart. Bloody mess too. I burned the picture in the furnace… I couldn't bear to show you." He paused, waiting for a reaction. There wasn't one, though. I stared at the floor, and fell to my knees. I knew what the "L" stood for. "Also," he continued, "there was a brief note in there too, hidden under the picture. It instructed me to give it to you. So, here…" He handed me the note, and I held it with numb fingers, not even sure if I was holding it at all. My eyes trailed to the note in my hands.

"'L' for love, wouldn't you agree, Maria? I told you it needed to be taken care of. Had it not been for me, you would have crawled back to him, wouldn't you? Don't answer that… Of course you would have. I love you, darling. See you soon."

I couldn't believe what I was reading. It made me sick to think I'd trusted this person, time and time again. Now, all I wanted was to kill him.

Cole would be avenged.

CHAPTER 7.

"Maria! Remember what I said!" cried LJ, who now stood at the curbside and hollered to me through my closed windows. I didn't even look at him, but tightened my lips and sped off, nearly clipping the front of a car. Yes, it seemed irrational and bull-headed, but I was not going to go out of my way for a stander by driving their car when traffic was already bad enough. I narrowed my eyes ever so slightly, and looked out the windshield with a threatening glare to anyone in my path. I had somewhere to be, but it wasn't here in the 1:30 traffic.

When I finally peeled out of the traffic in Downtown, I sped off down the freeway and hastily pulled into the warehouse where we kept our meetings. Granted, we weren't really supposed to keep our cars parked out front, but with what I was about to do, it didn't matter to me. I listened to the seagulls whining overhead, beckoning towards the beach on the West side of the warehouse as I made me way uo to the massive concrete structure.

I knew I should be careful, but I was past caring.

I snatched the door handle abruptly, and thrust the door open with sudden force. I peered inside, but continued with my stride. The large space was nearly empty, save for the few other colleagues I worked with. And one other familiar face I hadn't seen in years.

Christy.

Christy? I thought, what's she doing here? Christy and I used to be close. We'd hang out all the time, and we were often times thought of as "inseperable." Then, of course, I met Cole and we had gone off for our life together. Not only did I leave behind my immediate family, but I left behind the girl who'd been like a sister to me, an extended member of the family...

My cousin.

"Christy!" I called, shocked. She turned and faced me, and angrily pointed her finger at me. "It's all your fault! Cole's dead because of YOU!" she screamed, accusingly. I stopped dead in my tracks. How did she, could she, possibly know about Cole? I hadn't said much about him to anyone. Except for Lola and Luc, both of which were presently absent. I found that a bit odd.

I shook my head as the tears welled up again. "Christy," I cried softly, "what are you doing here? Do you even know what this place is?" A death house, I wanted to say. I held my tongue and faced my cousin full on. She nodded, and I felt as though the world was suddenly spinning.

"Maria, you don't realize what you've done," she sobbed, her own tears bursting. "You don't know how many people you've hurt by what you do. And now Cole, of all people, is dead. You'll never see him again. I pray that you'll understand the hurt, and feel the loss everyday. He wasn't meant to die this way! Not by your hands..." She put her face into her hands and cried hard. I stood in shock, letting my tears brim over.

"Christy, it wasn't me," I protested, "but I know who it was. That's why I'm here. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come."

"Yes, you would have."

I turned, and faced the monster behind the menace; Luc. I wasn't shocked to see Lola step in behind him, cleaning off her special blade with a dirty oil rag. She eyed me carefully, probably noting that I looked like a zombie. I felt like just as much, but couldn't bring myself to do anything. All the adrenaline that had been pent up upon arriving was now gone. I just stared at Luc, then Lola, and finally spun on my heels and faced Christy again. She trembled, and shook her head. "Get out, you monster," she hissed, and I obeyed. I passed Luc, without looking at him, and stopped abruptly in front Lola.

"I hope I never see your face again," I growled, a low sound through my teeth. She looked at me with absolutely no emotion, and tilted her chin up a little to indicate that she was picking up what I was putting down. I nodded once in response, then opened the door and shut it behind me. I walked into the now rainy, barren parking lot towards my car. I got in and just sat there, too afraid to start the engine and go. There was so much more that I wanted to say, to all of them. To Luc, I wanted to ensure my safety and privacy from him, and make sure that he stayed out of me and my sister's lives. To Christy, I wanted to tell her how sorry I was that I left, and that yes, I should have stayed in touch. Apologize for all the wrong things I'd ever done to her. And last but not least: Lola.

There was so much I wanted to say, but so much that I didn't. I couldn't bring myself to tell her what was on my mind. First of all, I wanted to remind her that I'd always been there for her, as she had been for me. Secondly, I wanted her to know how truly grateful I was, though she apparently couldn't see it for herself. And most importantly, I wanted to tell her that I forgave her. I forgave her for what she'd done to me, even though now my consequences were coming back to me tenfold. I'd forgiven her for what I'd found out, on my own, through stealthy, careful research. There was a good reason why Lola had insisted she'd never met Cole; there was a good reason that Cole knew Lola's homephone number. And cell phone number, and e-mail address. I had forgiven her for the biggest mistake she'd ever made.

She was the one; the woman who had tried countless times to take my husband from me. And yet, I had trusted her. How did I find this out? I recalled the letter in the envelope that LJ had given me at his coffee shop. I had learned Lola's secret hand code after years of knowing her. She always darkened certain letters by just a smidge on purpose, only if she was trying to get a message through. And what better of a way then to put it in your best friend's husband's death note? She thought maybe I wouldn't remember; maybe I'd forget. But no, that was not the case at this point. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the seat, and started to cry at the tender thought that passed through my mind...

I'm so sorry, Cole. I love you. Goodbye, my love.

CHAPTER 8.

A moment of life can go by in an instant, and be surpassed without even thinking about it. This particular moment occurred, I realized, at the warehouse. I considered ratting out the agency to the police, giving them all the information on the mysterious murder cases they'd received. But, hey, why would I care? I had just lost my husband to my best friend. I felt a little bad that I blamed Luc from the jump, but what could I do about it now? LJ was right; maybe I should have just went home, and locked my doors.

But what was he trying to protect me from?

Maybe LJ knew too, and just didn't want to tell me. Maybe he didn't know how to tell me. He probably thought I'd make a big deal of it. Truth be told, that was plausible, even now. But all I could manage to do was drive down the long, twisting roads to Sacremento, my hometown. I didn't particularily have a purpose for visiting my past; it just felt like the only I could do. After a long drive, I finally reached the welcome sign at the city limits, and saw the lights of the city ahead. I didn't actually notice the lights; they were just blinding colors from a distance. I drove away from the busy city, and stuck to smaller winding roads leading to a neighborhood named, "Honeywood Acres."

The biggest ghost of my past.

I pulled up in front of the house that hadn't changed, even through wear-and-tear weather, and the coming and going of people from that house. Memories of my childhood flooded my mind almost instantly; Lexy, Christy, and I playing in the sprinkler on a hot summer day when we were all young; my first fist fight on the front lawn when I was twelve; my first kiss on the front porch when I was fifteen; Christy and Lexy hugging me goodbye when I told them I was leaving; and Cole, wrapping his arms around me, leading me to the car while I cried. He had always promised that it would be okay in the end, and I'd foolishly believed him, but nothing would ever be okay in the end. I'd learned that the hard way.

I let out a ragged breath when I saw a lamp turn on in the all too-familiar living room window right by the front door. I couldn't help but wonder who lived there now. Without thinking, I turned off the car, and shut my door quietly. Tucking my hands deep into my pockets, I walked through the yard, and hopped onto the porch. I raised a hand to knock on the door, but hesitated. What was I doing? These were innocent strangers; what I was about to do was wrong. I knew I shouldn't be bugging someone at nearly nine o'clock on a beautiful night like this.

Yet, I couldn't turn around and walk away. Not yet.

Before I could knock, the locks were turned and I lowered my hand. An oddly familiar elderly lady opened the door and smiled at me warmly. "Oh, hello," she greeted, "how are you this fine evening, young lady?"

I suddenly burst into tears. I knew it was probably ridiculous, but I just couldn't help it anymore. I wept in front of this lovely, friendly woman, and she didn't say a word. She placed her hand on my shoulder, and just let my cry under her loving embrace. When I collected myself enough to speak, I muttered a measly, "thanks," and sniffed. She gave me a soft smile, and invited me in fro tea. Graciously, I accepted.

The house hadn't changed at all; give or take, of course, the choice of furniture, and decor. Other than that, the basic overall layout was the same. The colors of the walls were the same, and even the familiar home-based scent wafted in the air, but with a hint of cinnamon. It's like she knew I'd be here. Everything's just how I'd thought it'd be, I thought with slight heartache. The woman extended a hand towards the kitchen table, and I sat. I watched her hands, wrinkled and aged, poor the tea. I heard her humming as she did so, and I recognized the song almost immediately; it was "O Holy Night," which was a Christmas song, but still beautiful. I closed my eyes, and took a deep, ragged breath. The woman sat down, and I could feel her soft stare on my face as I slowly opened my eyes and faced her.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality," I whispered, and accepted the tea that she handed me. I sipped it, and noted that it was green tea, with approximately two scoops of sugar, the way I liked it. Weird, I thought. The woman smiled, and nonchalantly waved her hand in my direction. "It's quite alright, dear. You seemed distraught, like you were carrying a large burden on your shoulders all the way to Honeywood Acres. I just thought I'd show my kindness, and invite you in."

I nodded, but I still couldn't helped but be shocked. How could this woman, an obvious stranger, know about my problems? Nevertheless, I was glad someone could see through my shield of emotions. "Yes, that's exactly it; there's too much on my mind, and I was driving, all the way from Seattle, to here. This is the house I grew up in; it's my only connection to home. My husband just died today, and I think he was murdered. I just had to get away, but I have nowhere to go." The words came out in a rush, but the kind lady nodded her head and placed a hand over her heart.

"Deary," she said softly, "I'm so sorry. And I understand; if you must, you can stay here as long as you like. I'm Coral Winters, by the way. I've forgotten my manners too soon." I took the hand she'd extended, and shook it softly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Winters. I'm Maria Radonavich."

She gave me another friendly smile. "I haven't been a Mrs. in almost thirty years, dear. But that's quite alright; you couldn't have possibly known that. My husband died of bronchitis when I was fifty-three and he was fifty-six." I frowned, and apologized. She nodded. "Such a shame, you would have loved him. You never met him, though. But, I believe you've already met me." I gave her a puzzled look, and she chuckled lightly.

"Maria, I used to babysit you when you were a little girl. You, your sister Alexis, and your cousin, Christy. I remember you girls because you were all so well-behaved. And friendly; truly compassionate at such a young age. I used to favor you girls, though, of course, I could never play favorites in front of the other children. I oftened wondered what became of you, and prayed long and hard that at least one of you would visit." She paused to give me a long, thankful look before continuing. "God truly answered my prayers, because here you are. After your folks died, I found out that they'd treated me with the same kindness that I treated them; they left the house in my name, Maria." I tried to process everything she said, but could not. It was simply mind-blowing. After she'd admitted who she was, I'd instantly picked up the past connection. Though I was little, it all came back to me in a rush. At least, what I could remember. She'd always hum and sing to us and brush my hair before putting it in a braid.

When Christy and I were fourteen, and Lexy was only eight, we stopped going to the daycare where Miss Cathers, at the time, worked. I was always a little sad about it, but of course, life moved on, and I slowly, but surely, forgot Miss Cathers. She must have married not long after we left, I thought with a sudden pang. I couldn't believe that my parents had left the house to her, though. All for what? Watching three bratty little girls almost everyday since Lexy was born? Yeah, I commended the woman too, but I couldn't fathom my parents' gratitude. Either way, I was glad she'd taken it. She obviously took good care of the home, and that alone pleased me.

"Today, I saw Christy for the first time since I was about eighteen," I whispered. Mrs. Winters looked sad by this thought, and I knew what was coming next.

"Why for the first time? What happened?" she inquired. I shrugged, then caught myself smiling, then frowning. "I met the love of my life, and ran off with him when I was only eighteen. I know I was young, but I knew I loved him, and that he was the one. I couldn't wait to marry him, so my parents gave me a choice; them, or Cole, my husband," I explained. She nodded, following my story. I took that as a cue to continue. "So, I chose Cole. Mom was heartbroken, and I felt bad; I really did. But I loved Cole, and didn't want to lose him. My dad? He expected it, and couldn't wait to kick me out. He didn't even tell me he loved me when I walked out of this house for the last time."

My voice trembled and broke, but I couldn't help it. My final words came out in a whisper. "I left everything behind for Cole. And now, I've lost him too. I have nothing left; nowhere to go. No one wants me, and it's nobody's fault but my own. I'm alone in this world. And it's all my fault." I started to cry, and suddenly felt Mrs. Winters reach out and take my hand in hers. So I held her hand and cried, finally feeling a sense of peace after the hardest day of my life.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

CHAPTER 9.

I woke up, and forgot where I was.

It was embarrassing, as soon as I remembered last night's occurrence; Mrs. Winters hospitality, the conversation, the memories... Oh, the bittersweet memories.

I sat up and rubbed at my tired eyes, hoping I didn't look too much like a disaster. I got up and walked to the hallway bathroom that Mrs. Winters had directed me to last night, (even though I remembered where it was) after I politely explained that my bladder felt like it was going to explode. I walked in, turned on the light, and...

Screamed.

I looked like a hot mess. In truth, I was. I'd been through a lot in the course of three days. Three days was all it took to potentially end my life before it hardly had a chance to begin.

My braid looked like a pretty angry bear attacked it. My once well-done makeup was now painted under my eyes, and smeared down my cheeks. I was a smoky, ashen color, my once healthy tanned glow long gone. I even looked like I hadn't had a single bite to eat for days.

Actually, I hadn't eaten at all.

As if on cue, my stomach growled, and I found myself between a rock and a hard place. I didn't want to raid the fridge; yet, I was starving. I considered ordering a pizza, but I suddenly remembered that I was in Sacramento, not Seattle; I didn't remember any names or numbers of pizza places anywhere near here. I pulled my hair out of the braid and sighed. Maybe Mrs. Winters wouldn't mind if I at least took a quick shower.

I decided to go with my gut instinct and take a shower. The hot water felt like soothing pinpricks all over my body, relieving any stress I still had. All I had left were my collective thoughts.

What am I gonna do? I thought. I can't stay here forever; I'm sure Luc and Lola will be looking for me before long. I thought about my sister; maybe she'd take me in for a night or two. Scratch that, the voice in the back on my mind thought. Lexy will tell Luc that you're out here. They are engaged, after all. Plus, Aunt Bet and Uncle Todd would give you so much crap.

I finished with my shower and got dressed in the clothes that I wore to Lola's house the last night that I saw Cole alive. Unfortunately, it was all I had. I tossed my hair into a careless ponytail, then walked out of the steamy bathroom while wiping off my face with my towel.

"Good morning, dear," Mrs. Winters called suddenly, startling me. I rounded the corner to the kitchen and smiled at her.

"Mrs. Winters, you scared me. I thought you weren't here," I said. She waved a hand towards me and declared, "I've been here the whole time. I was in my room, getting dressed. You did startle me with your scream though. Is everything alright?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Define 'alright,'" I mumbled quietly.

She smiled at me, and turned to the fridge. "I can hear your stomach growling from her, Maria. I have some leftover blueberry muffins if you would like to have a few. I made them yesterday morning, so they're still good."

"My prayers have been answered!" I cried, and hopped out of my seat to hug her tightly. She hugged me back and whispered, "Of course, darling, of course."

After eating three whole muffins, I told Mrs. Winters that I was going to Middlebrook Meadows to see my sister, and that I'd be returning later. She gave me a friendly wave, and a muffin, and told me to have a safe trip. I promised her I'd drive careful, and on that note, drove off towards the city.

Middlebrook Meadows really was my sister's neighborhood, but I wasn't going anywhere near there. In fact, I was heading the exact opposite way; straight towards the city. I needed to get necessary toiletries and some more clothes if my intentions were to stay here in the Sacramento area.


End file.
